Lethbridge’s Interfaith Food Bank Society will be this year’s local recipient of the Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie campaign running this week.
There will be seven Tim Hortons locations in Lethbridge participating in the campaign with all proceeds from local cookie sales donated to the food bank and Tim’s Camps across the country.
Danielle McIntyre from Interfaith says the proceeds from the cookie sales will help the food bank make sure everyone has a very, merry Christmas. “This is our first year participating in the Holiday Smile Cookie campaign and we’re very grateful to be selected as the charity of choice this year.”
One of the truly amazing things about the local Tim Hortons is they’re all locally-owned franchisees deciding where your dollars go, McIntyre notes. “The more cookies purchased, the more proceeds that come directly to our organization and our ability to feed local families.”
Right now, McIntyre explains, one in four Canadians are struggling with food insecurity. “Locally here for Christmas alone, we’re planning to do over a thousand households out of Interfaith Food Bank – but between 2,500 and 3,000 individuals locally.”
McIntyre adds the proceeds will help with food purchases at the food bank. “That is the biggest thing we need to spend our money on right now. With increased demand and increased cost of groceries, we can really use the money to buy those good things that we’re handing out to local families.”
“It’ll go straight to whatever we have to buy in the moment,” says McIntyre. “It’s definitely going to go towards our hamper items. It’s going to be those higher nutrient value foods like pastas, cereals, pasta sauce and canned meats, as opposed to the higher salt, lower nutritional value items we’re happy to accept – but we only buy those good nutrient building foods. That’s exactly what we’ll spend the money on.”
McIntyre adds the food bank is also in-need of fresh and frozen food items. “We’re dangerously low on Pick Room options for local families again now that garden season has come to an end. Fruits, vegetables, breads and pastries, meats and dairy are in high demand and we could really use a restock from the community.”
